Cendrillon
by lazyllama-xx
Summary: Lavi is a bored prince who doesn't want to get married. Phoenix is an assassin and a vampire. At a masquerade ball, Phoenix manages to swiftly kill her target, not knowing it would lead to a chain of unforeseen events. Based in medieval times, LavixOC
1. Chapter 1

**_Hey! This is Llama-san with yet another fanfiction XD It's based in medieval times, but i've woven some of the DGM plot in anyway. The title HAD relevance to the story, but i changed the plot :) I like the title, so it's staying._**

**_I hope you like it!_**

**_Cendrillon-Chapter 1_**

----

Her boots left dull footfalls as she walked along the stone corridor, ignoring the curt nods of welcome from the guards stationed along the walls. Her eyes were fixed on the heavy wooden door which was steadily growing nearer.

Without knocking, she barged in, startling the guards standing behind the double doors. She stopped in front of seven marble thrones, eyeing the flowing magenta robes of their occupants.

'Ah', a female voice murmured. Despite her low voice, it echoed around the large hall. 'I thought I could feel your charming presence, Phoenix'

It was impossible to tell whether Phoenix saw the humour, as a brown and gold mask covered her entire face, with a grinning slit for a mouth and slanted eye slits.

'I take it your mission went well?', she asked. Phoenix nodded.

'And did you bring our new frien-?', another shadowed figure's voice was cut off as Phoenix nodded again.

'She is currently unconscious in one of our holding cells. Marcus Lowe was about to hand her over to the Earl'

'You killed him then?', another voice asked sharply. Phoenix nodded again. The man leant back, fingers steepled. 'Good. Another one of those damned akuma is gone. Is the girl a magician or an Exorcist?'

'Exorcist', Phoenix replied quietly. There were a few interested murmurs.

'What can she do?', a voice asked eagerly.

'From the little that I saw, she can control time but she gets weary very quickly and cannot maintain it for long'

'Very well then', the first voice announced. 'We have your next mission ready. Kanda and Walker are the only ones to come back from their missions, and they are both wounded. And since you came back relatively unscathed, that leaves you'

'Who is it?', Phoenix asked in the same quiet tone.

'This one should be entertaining, and short', a scroll was thrown down at her. She caught it one-handed and rolled it open. She looked back up, grinning mask not matching her stoic posture.

'A Royal servant', Phoenix muttered. 'He's an akuma?'

'An akuma and one of the young Prince's most loyal servants', the same person confirmed. 'You are to attend a masquerade ball held at the palace tomorrow afternoon and kill him'

Phoenix nodded and turned to leave.

'Phoenix', one of the voices called. She paused. '_Make_ _sure_ you dispose of any witnesses this time. And see to the girl'

She acknowledged the words with a small jerk of her head and strode back out the double doors. The guards snapped to attention, holding their spears and swords high.

A few minutes later, she was standing outside a thick wooden door, looking through the thin bars at a brown-haired figure slumped against the stone wall.

Her hand hovered in front of the heavy metal lock. Blue sparks shot out of her hand and the door swung open with a small click.

The woman's head snapped up. She had large brown eyes and a permanently worried expression. Her brown hair was tangled, and she clutched her shackled wrists to her knees, which were drawn up to her chest. Her eyes widened when she saw Phoenix entering the room, eyes barely visible through the slits of the mask.

'W-Who are you?', she mumbled. 'Where am I?'

Phoenix slipped her fingers under the black ribbon holding the mask in place and slid it over her head, revealing cat-like amber eyes and a pale-white face. Contrary to the grinning mask, her lips were fuller, and currently set in a straight line. Three small moles on the lower side of her jaw formed a perfect triangle.

'My name is Phoenix', she said quietly. 'What is yours?'

'M-Miranda Lotto', the woman replied nervously. 'Where am I?', she repeated.

'You are in a safe place now', Phoenix murmured. 'We are the Black Order'

Miranda's eyes widened. 'T-The assassin group? What do you want with me?'

'You are one of us now', Phoenix explained. 'I saw your abilities when I came to kill Lowe. You will prove a useful fighter'

Miranda shook her head rapidly. 'All I can do is slow down time. I am not a fighter'

'The Order will train you', Phoenix said. 'We Exorcists and magicians exist to destroy people called akuma. They sell their souls to the Millennium Earl for power and immortality. They sacrifice other human souls to maintain that power. We are sent around the world to kill these akuma, whilst freeing the tormented souls inside them'

Miranda's eyes were wide. 'I thought you just killed innocent people…that's what we were told by the Palace'

Phoenix narrowed her eyes. 'The Palace is corrupt. The Earl and his minions, the Noah, are controlling the Royal family like puppets. They are the evil ones. They gave the people the wrong impression about the Black Order, which is why we are now the most wanted group in the world'

'So…we have been lied to this whole time?', Miranda whispered. Phoenix remained silent. Miranda bit her lip. 'I don't understand all this talk about Exorcists and magicians.'

'Exorcists are humans who have been chosen by God', Phoenix explained. 'You, along with the rest of the world, know us as the Cursed Ones. We are given special weapons, and those weapons are the only things that can destroy akuma. Magicians are able to control elements and minds, and shape shift, though it is very hard and rare. The only other beings who can destroy akuma are vampires, and they are even rarer.'

'What can you do?', Miranda asked timidly.

Phoenix paused before answering. 'I am…different. I am a magician and a vampire', Miranda gave an involuntary gasp and her shackled hands whipped around her throat. Phoenix ignored the action and stood up.

'Do I have to fight?', Miranda asked quietly.

'Yes', Phoenix said quietly. 'From this day on, you are an Exorcist of the Black Order', she turned to leave, but Miranda spoke hastily.

'Wait!', she called. 'Since I am now joining you voluntarily, can you please remove the shackles?'

----

'Lavi! Pay attention!', an elderly man with a strange ponytail barked, flinging a small stone at a dazed red-haired boy. He jumped as it struck him on the side of his head and looked around, lifting his chin of his hand.

He narrowed his green eye, the other covered by a black, silk patch. 'Calm down, old man', he snapped. 'It's not my fault you're boring, Panda!'

There was a sharp smacking sound as a black and white paw hit Lavi over the head. He yelped in pain and clutched at it with pale hands, scowling up at his frowning mentor.

'What was that for?', he pouted.

'My name is Bookman!', the man shouted, looming over Lavi despite his height.

'Alright, alright, keep your strange hair on', Lavi said hastily. 'Can't we do something other than etiquette lessons?'

'Your soon-to-be bride will be arriving this afternoon', Bookman muttered. 'Your late parents would not want their only son to humiliate himself in front of his wife because he cannot distinguish a butter knife from a cheese knife!'

'They would be _real_ upset if they saw that', he said sarcastically. 'I don't wanna get married'

'You are eighteen years of age!', Bookman snapped. 'You would have been wed years ago, were it not for the lack of suitable brides'

'I don't even _like_ Chomesuke!', he whined. 'Her voice makes me want to throttle her and her hair is strange'

'This is your problem!', Bookman shouted. 'You find the most mundane things to complain about your would-be brides'

'I don't want to marry some doll', Lavi shrugged. 'Especially some doll I am supposed to spend my life with'

'You do not have a choice', he said wearily. 'Your father is in poor health and you are his only heir. He will throttle you himself if you turn away yet another woman. There are plenty of potential brides out there which you keep shoving to the side like chess pieces'

'Who _wouldn't_ want to be married to me?', Lavi smirked, running a hand through his already messy crimson hair.

'Young fool', Bookman muttered. 'Your wild days are going to be over soon, boy. You will have a wife, a child, and you will take your father's place as king.'

Lavi choked on air. 'I'm lookin' forward to what happens _to_ make children, but I don't actually _want_ any of those things'

'Trust me, neither do I', Bookman breathed. 'I cannot imagine having to teach any offspring of yours'

Lavi frowned. 'I am sure I have just been insulted'

A messenger by the name of Toma stood at the door. Lavi waved at him. He nodded back, a smile beneath the white bandages covering half his mouth.

He walked towards Bookman and whispered something. Bookman nodded and gestured for Toma to leave.

'This lesson is over', he announced. Lavi perked up, smiling.

'Why?', he asked. 'Did someone die?'

Bookman scowled. 'You might if you do not tame your mouth. You are being fitted for tomorrow afternoon's masquerade ball'

Lavi groaned.

----

Phoenix made her way back from the dining hall, arms laden with food. She turned a corner and nearly crashed into Kanda Yuu, whose bare chest was covered in bandages. A worried nurse trailed behind him.

'Che', he growled. He looked down at the pile of food. 'Eating that isn't going to make you grow any taller, elf'

'I'd rather be short than have an appearance opposite my true gender' Phoenix shot back almost immediately. Kanda growled.

'You little-!', Kanda's sentence was cut off as the nurse grabbed his clenched fist, tugging back.

'You are not ready to leave the bay!', she snarled, steadily pulling him back. Kanda flailed at Phoenix, hand missing her face by an inch. She watched him get dragged back, unfazed.

'Phoenix!', a nasal voice called. She looked around.

Johnny Gill, one of the few magicians in the Black Order, ambled up to her, panting. She stared at him, waiting for him to talk.

'I-I was told to bring you this…', he held out a flask. Phoenix could hear some sort of liquid swishing around inside.

Her gaze turned red, and her lips parted as she inhaled the bittersweet scent of blood, even though the cap on the flask was tightly closed.

'It is a g-gift from Komui', Johnny explained nervously. He was rooted to the spot and felt light-headed by Phoenix's stare, which was fixed on the flask. Her eyes had turned the colour of molten gold, and he inwardly cringed at the sight of two gleaming white fangs which were slowly growing longer.

She moved too quickly for him to see. In a flash, the silver flask was out of his hands. He jumped about a foot in the air when it shattered into a hundred pieces against a stone wall, sending splatters of blood everywhere. The assorted foods in Phoenix's arms bounced off the floor, scattering in different directions.

He looked back at Alex, swallowing nervously. Her usually blank face was mutinous. Her eyes were back to their usual amber, and her lips were sealed tight.

'Tell Komui...', she began through gritted teeth. 'To mind his own business and keep _out _of mine', with that, she stormed past Johnny.

He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and leant against a wall for support.

_I don't know _how_ the people here can stay in the same room as her_, Johnny thought. _Every time I look at her, something inside me seems to wither._

----

Phoenix looked at the long item of clothing draped over her bed with something akin to disgust.

It was a long-sleeved white dress with gold trimmings. A matching mask with a plume of feathers on one side sat atop it. Flat white shoes were neatly placed beside it, along with a small piece of parchment.

_Lenalee will be over soon to help with the rest._

_-Komui Lee._

----

**_That was chapter one :) I will be uploading chapter 2 soon! If you find any typos or errors in my knowledge of medieval times, please let me know!_**

**_Till next time, _**

**_-Lazy Llama- Please hit the review button to tell me what you think! It'll only take about 10 seconds XD_**


	2. Chapter 2

---

A golden ray of sunlight found its way through a small crack the thick red curtains covering the large window. It fell upon the sleeping face of Lavi, making him squint and frown, tilting his face away in an attempt to escape it.

With an all-to-familiar creaking, the grand double doors leading to his bedroom opened. He groaned and rolled onto his stomach, the sun ray falling on his bare back.

'Lavi-sama…', one of the maids murmured. 'It is time to wake'

'Just a little longer…', Lavi mumbled in reply, voice muffled by his silk pillow. Matching crimson sheets were twisted around him. The maid tutted and bustled over to the curtains, pulling them apart completely.

Sunlight poured into the room, making Lavi groan and roll over onto his back again. He lifted his head off the pillow, blinking blearily whilst trying to shield himself from the sun with a hand. With a big yawn, he sat up, running a hand through his hair.

The maid blushed, clearing her throat, and busied herself with the breakfast tray resting on his bedside table. Lavi smirked at the flustered maid, who probably wasn't used to seeing a shirtless prince, and rolled out of the bed in his as Bookman stormed in.

'Stop looking at that maid like a hungry wolf and get yourself dressed!', he barked. The maid jumped and turned an even darker shade of red. She hurried out of the room, and much to Lavi's disappointment, Chaoji Han took her place. He pulled out clothes from a large dresser placed against a wall, helping Lavi into them.

'Good morning, Koushaku', Chaoji said brightly.

'Chaoji, how many times must I tell you?', the prince grumbled. 'It's _Lavi_.'

'I know, but it's always funny to annoy you', Chaoji replied, grinning.

'It's working', Lavi muttered, rolling his eye. He looked back at Chaoji, blinking.

The brown-haired man's eyes were glazed, and his lips were pursed. His skin was paler than usual, and he looked overall tired.

'Chao-chan?', Lavi said quiestioningly. Chaoji's head snapped up. 'Are you ill?'

Chaoji broke into a weary smile. 'N-No, Lavi-sama. Just…hungry…', he looked away, biting his lip. Lavi shrugged and looked away.

'What's happening today?', Lavi asked in a bored voice as he slid on a ruffled red shirt. Bookman sat on the newly made bed, feet hovering above the ground.

'Most of the day will be spent with your teachings', he announced gruffly. He ignored Lavi's sigh. 'Nothing new, just some revision. Then you will practice your instrument. After is mid-day supper, followed by sparring with Tyki Mikk. You then have the rest of the afternoon off', Lavi's sleepy eyes shot wide open, 'At seven o' clock, it is time to dress for the ball. Chomesuke will be arriving shortly before.'

Despite Lavi's reluctance at having to spend time with his would-be wife, the prospect of having some freedom cheered him up greatly.

'So I can go horse-riding?', Lavi asked with a grin.

'Around the castle, with guards, you may, but not through the forests', Bookman grunted. Lavi wilted. 'Any bodily harm before the ball will infuriate your ill father. Nobles from around the country are coming, and this event will be huge, no-one will want to miss it.'

----

'The event will be huge! I can't believe I'm going to miss it…'

Phoenix silently fumed as Lenalee moved around her, clipping up her thick dark hair in the current style, gently swiping what looked like a tiny brush under her eyes, leaving a thin line of black. Her lips were painted crimson..

'How much longer does this take?', Phoenix muttered, disliking the paint on her skin and the tightness of the dress's corset. She had yet to put on the mask.

Lenalee smiled. 'Not too long…I take it you aren't too thrilled about this mission?'

Phoenix remained silent. Lenalee's smile didn't waver.

'It'll be over before you know it', Lenalee assured her. 'I'd kill to take your place…no pun intended', she giggled. Phoenix gave a barely audible sigh, as did Lenalee.

'But Brother says I just got back from my mission and I'm not ready for another so soon', she rolled her eyes, 'it's been over a month since I've last left this place. I think Brother has pulled some strings so I don't get sent out…', she gasped. 'My apologies! I don't mean to bore you', she cleared her throat and hastily ruffled through some clay pots on the dressing table, re-emerging with a bright smile.

Phoenix held out a hand to stop Lenalee as she was about to apply the powdery substance on her face.

'No more', Phoenix said firmly. 'I already feel like my face is going to fall off'

Lenalee blinked. 'I've only used two things'

'Feels like more', Phoenix muttered. 'I am ready. I assume I have to use _that_ mask for this?'

Lenalee nodded. She pulled out a leather weapons holder, unraveling it on Phoenix's mattress. Inside was an array of tiny daggers and poison darts.

She looked at Phoenix brightly. 'This is your kit'

Phoenix stared blankly from the kit to Lenalee and back, frowning slightly. Lenalee sighed.

'Any other weapons will make the dress bulky', Lenalee explained. 'You can't exactly hide a mace under that corset.'

'…Komui', Phoenix breathed. She looked at the weapons with something close to disgust, folding her arms over her chest.

Lenalee sighed. 'Komui', she agreed. 'He's trying to give you a more humane way of killing aku-'

'Humane?', Phoenix muttered. She snorted, turning away from the weapons. 'He thinks what we do is _humane?_ That way of death is not required for the destruction of the Earl's machinery.'

'It's not just akuma that you end up killing, Phoenix', Lenalee murmured.

'Their fault for getting in the way', Phoenix said indifferently. 'Especially when I'm hungry.'

Lenalee blinked and shook her head, pulling an auburn brown wig from behind her. It was long with elaborate curls, already decorated with pins and decorations commonly used at masquerade balls.

'Your hair is too short', Lenalee explained at the sight of Phoenix's frown. 'This is the closest colour we have to it', she held it out for Phoenix. The Exorcists looked at it distastefully before grabbing it and placing it on top of her head.

Lenalee smiled. 'There. You look like a woman for once.'

'Be quiet', Phoenix muttered. 'It's bad enough I must wear this stupid gown, let alone fake hair for a simple assassination.'

'It's not that simple', Lenalee told her chidingly, 'The palace will be swarming with guards, making it difficult even for you to get in unnoticed. Komui does not want to take that chance, which is why you're going in disguise. It will make things easier.'

'Why can he not send you instead of me?', Phoenix said quietly. 'It is obvious I despise social gatherings of any kind and can barely tolerate listening to the mindless babble of most people.'

'Am I among those babbling people?', Lenalee asked teasingly.

'You're getting there', Phoenix grumbled. Lenalee grinned.

'Who's the akuma?', she asked.

'Chaoji Han, one of the Prince's closest servants.'

----

'Fool, you are stepping on my foot!'

'Should I care?'

'Who taught you how to walk in those things? Lenalee? Ouch!'

'Stop talking, woman.'

'You should start acting like one!'

'Stop your pointless squabbling.'

Phoenix and Kanda scowled at each other before looking away. They approached the grand double doors, arms linked. The golden-clothes guards nodded to them, pikes and shields held loosely by their sides.

'What proper soldier lets his guard down?', Kanda muttered once they were out of the guards' earshot. 'It would have taken seconds to kill them both.'

'Oh, hush', Phoenix hissed back, fixing a calm expression on her face. Kanda did likewise, tightening his grip on his partner's arm. She grimaced faintly. Kanda's smirk vanished when she discreetly elbowed him in the ribs, where the layers of bandages were covered by his tunic.

'You will pay for that', he snarled at her. 'That was not fair.'

Phoenix's urge to roll her eyes as they entered the hall vanished, replaced by surprise.

The hall was filled with people dressed in brightly-coloured clothes and masks, some shaped like an animal's head, others made entirely out of feathers, most similar to Phoenix's and Kanda's. Dancers, fire-wielding men with laughing masks and servants glided over the gleaming floorboards, leaving little disturbance in their paths. The grand, curved staircases on each side of the hall were covered in spiraling wreaths of gold and green, the walls themselves bright gold and silver, the painted angels watching over the ball-goers.

'I see the Prince's doll, but where is he?', Kanda muttered, jerking his head. Phoenix looked around. A large and empty throne sat in the middle of an upraised platform covered in red velvet. A woman sat on the second. A mask with a setting sun painted on it covered her eyes from view, a graceful plume of feathers attached to a corner. Her dress was red and amber. A closed fan rested on her lap, and she was chatting animatedly to a masked couple leaning on the platform.

'It must be so hard to be them', Kanda said sarcastically. 'Now, go find the akuma. I will stay out here.'

Phoenix nodded and slipped away from him, mingling in with the crowd. She ignored the smiles and stares thrown in her direction, moving swiftly, looking for her target.

---

All around him, there were men and women laughing, talking and dancing, masks held in place by slim ribbons. Everything was colourful, bright-

Long black hair whipped past him, making him blink at the sudden contact. The head bobbed through the crowd. Lavi grinned and followed it.

An arm impatiently brushed back the hair and Lavi caught it, fingers sliding over the wrist.

'Excuse me, would you do me the honour of da-oh my…', Lavi's silky voice ended abruptly.

'Che', the man in front of him scowled, cobalt eyes narrowed. 'Did you just call me a woman?'

Lavi laughed, quickly letting go of his wrist. 'Sorry about that! You really do look like a woman from behind!'

'Am I wearing a damn dress?', the man growled at him. Lavi blinked. Usually people were much more respectful than that…

'Well, no', Lavi said, frowning. 'But maybe you should get your hair cut a lot shorter, and do something about that feminine face.'

'Why you little-!'

'-It ain't my fault, is all I'm saying', Lavi interjected smoothly. 'Don't blame others, especially a prince, for your own misfortunes. Now if you'll excuse me…', he turned around, accidentally bumping into something small. He instinctively grabbed one of the flailing arms, looking down.

A pair of amber eyes stared up at him through a white and gold mask. Lavi vaguely heard the scowling man behind him exclaim something before coughing pointedly.

'M-My apologies', the girl mumbled after several seconds of silence, doing a quick curtsey before hurrying off into the crowd, which quickly swallowed her up. Lavi stared after her, arm still extended from where he had grabbed her, an odd feeling twisting in his gut.

'There you are!', a familiar voice hissed. Lavi tore his eyes away from the white and gold figure darting through the crowd, turning around and looking down, where sure enough, his mentor was scowling up at him.

'Damn…', Lavi muttered, sighing.

'I have been looking for you everywhere, Lavi', Bookman growled. 'You are lucky Chomesuke-sama is otherwise engaged and did not notice you slipping away like a sneak-thief!'

'Stupid Rabbit_'_, Kanda growled at Lavi's back, 'We weren't finished _talking'_

'I leave you alone for a few minutes and you yourself get into an argument?', Bookman huffed, glowering at Lavi. 'Stupid pup!', he turned to Kanda.

'I apologize on his behalf, Mr-?'

'Kan-', Kanda hesitated, '-ter. James Canter.'

'Once again, I apologize, Mr…Canter', Bookman said. 'Now, you must leave.'

Two guards appeared on either side of Kanda. He looked at Bookman.

'What is this?', he snapped as they wordlessly gripped his shoulders. Bookman and Lavi paused in their leaving.

'While the fault was most likely the Prince's', Bookman said roughly, 'baiting a member of the royal family is not taken lightly. Guards, take him away. Good day, Mr. _Canter_.'

'Wai-what?', Kanda's eyes widened as two guards popped up on either side of him. '_That_ is a _Prince_?', they gripped his arms tightly and discreetly dragged him away from Lavi and Bookman.

Lavi grinned at the swearing Kanda as he followed after his scowling mentor to a deserted corridor.

'Stop making a fool of yourself, damn it!', Bookman snarled at him once they were out of everyone's earshot. 'You are acting shamefully on your father's name-'

'That is all you care about!', Lavi burst out, anger quickly replacing whatever strange feeling he had before. 'Living up to my father's name, taking over my father's throne, father, father, _father!_ He is _dying_, I know! For the past _five_ years, everyone in this hell has been making my life miserable, including you. I have little time to myself, pointless lessons and grinding daily routines. I hate it all! Not once in these past years have I made decisions for myself, by myself. They have all been made by you and those other cursed nobles who want a piece of me. I am being pressured to marry a woman who I don't even know properly and make children with her. You wonder why I am reluctant? What man would want to bring a child into this hectic world, where it won't be able to live its own life and remain a damned doll, like this place has made_ me_!'

And he stormed off, making his way up the stairs, where no one else would be except for Chaoji. The one person in this hell hole he could actually speak to.

---

Phoenix wove through the laughing, masked ones around her, shrugging away offers of drinks and staring coldly at entertainers until they waddled away. She was strangely warm and flustered, but shrugged both odd feelings away, along with the odd emotion writhing in her stomach.

A round-bellied man with a mask shaped like a boar's head stepped in front of her, forcing her to stop.

'Would you dance with me, young lady?', he offered sweetly, smiling widely. His dark eyes glittered through the narrow slits of his mask.

'No,' Phoenix said curtly, side-stepping him. Before she could continue, the man stopped her again, gripping her upper arm.

'Maybe you should rethink that answer', the man said, no longer warmly.

'Release me', she demanded quietly, unfazed by his sudden actions.

'I don't think so', he growled. 'You look young enough for my liking.'

'Don't believe everything you see', Phoenix said, eyes narrowing with impatience. 'Now, are you going to let me go or must I break your arm?', and where was Kanda when she needed him?

'A fighter, eh?', the man chuckled. 'That can be fixed. I like a girl with some fight in her. Makes it all the more satisfying when I tame her.'

'You have no right to speak of me like that', Phoenix hissed. 'Release me now, pig.'

His grip turned vice-like. Phoenix remained still.

'You women are only useful for one thing', he snarled at her. 'And I am getting that thing whether you like it or not.'

Phoenix looked around. Chaoji Han was making his way up the staircases, muttering something to himself. She turned back to the man, scowl partly hidden by her mask.

'I see why you are mimicking a pig', she said in a disgusted tone. 'The similarity is amazing.'

'Wha-? Oh, you foolish little-!'

'-Sir, don't you think you should be leaving this girl alone?', a smooth voice cut. 'What you're doing is rather rude.'

Phoenix and her pursuer looked up. The man gasped. Her eyes widened behind her mask.

His curly dark hair was gelled back to the nape of his neck. Golden eyes, not unlike those of a cat, were fixed on the gaping man before him. The dark mask he wore around them made his stare all the more eerie. His dark, almost grey skin contrasted with the yellow tunic he wore.

'T-T-Tyki Mikk!', the man wheezed, releasing Phoenix's arm. 'S-So sorry to bother you', he leapt away from them both as if electrocuted and hurried away, looking over his shoulder nervously.

Tyki turned back to the shocked Phoenix, smiling turning warm.

'Ah, sorry you had to be bothered by that man', he murmured, bending down to kiss her hand, yellow eyes fixed on hers.

'Tha…thank you for that', she replied in a light tone, forcing a smile. 'I was just on my way to-'

'Surely you can spare a dance with me?', Tyki suggested, tilting his head to the side. Phoenix felt her cheeks grow warm but didn't break eye contact. She nodded.

Tyki reached for her other hand, pulling her close to him. Her head barely reached his shoulders. They started swaying to a slow, melodic tune that had just started up. Couples around them were doing the same.

'What is your name, if I may ask?', Tyki said, stepping away from Phoenix. She mirrored his movements, both of them stepping back towards each other.

'You may not', Phoenix replied, following Tyki's steps. There was a flicker of surprise in them, melting away to amusement.

'Names…', Mikk said, 'they hold a certain privilege over their user, don't they?'

Phoenix frowned slightly. 'Privilege?'

'Yes, though a lady such as yourself may not know it', Mikk looped his arm over Phoenix's shoulder, pulling her into a spin. The bell of her dress followed suit.

'In certain types of sorcery, names can be used to bind another being to the magician's will', Tyki explained to her. Phoenix nodded, pretending that this was all new to her as they continued dancing.

'There are other types of magicians', Tyki whispered, leaning closer to her. 'Have you ever heard of Exorcists?'

Phoenix stiffened slightly against him. Tyki smirked, bending lower.

'Exorcists are truly horrible people', he whispered in her ear. 'They kill innocent people.'

'Humans kill each other all the time', Phoenix said as they swayed. 'Maybe those people these "Exorcists" kill aren't as innocent as they appear to be…'

'My lady, Exorcists are soulless beings who are merely jealous of their victims' success compared to their own.'

'Success breeds corruption.'

Tyki smiled. 'You are rather smart, aren't you?'

'Not really', Phoenix shrugged, 'I am just pointing out the obvious.'

Tyki hummed thoughtfully. 'I am part of the Noah Clan. Ever heard of it?'

Phoenix nearly tripped when she heard this. She had heard of it. A lot. But he didn't need to know that.

'Noah Clan?', she said quizzically. 'What's that?'

Tyki looked at her, smiling, before answering, 'The Noah are a small group of…magicians, in Lavi-sama's army.'

'What do they…_you_ do?', she asked. Tyki bent her back, supporting her shoulders with a large hand, golden eyes inches from hers.

'My power', he murmured, 'lies in…touch', as he spoke, he trailed a finger down Phoenix's mask and exposed cheek, light as a feather and just as gentle.

Her cheeks heated up again, and her head lolled back as Tyki brought her back up abruptly, eyes bright.

'What do you mean?', Phoenix asked, relieved to hear her voice coming out normal.

Tyki shrugged lightly. 'Let's just say that any Exorcists planning on disrupting the Prince or meddling in the affairs of the Grand Palace would be wise to think twice', he twirled her once more, leaning close. 'No matter their sex…'

And he disappeared as the music stopped abruptly, leaving a shocked Phoenix alone to digest what he said.

_...He knows, _Phoenix thought, fixing her mask. _I need to find Chaoji Han, and soon._

She hurried over to the nearest staircase, picking up the hem of her dress to avoid tripping.

There were guards on either side of the long corridors leading away from the staircases. She grimaced. Kanda was supposed to take care of them. She made her way down the corridor, the loud music and voices growing fainter.

They eyed her suspiciously as she neared them. She fixed a smile on her face, clasping her hands in front of her. Their grip on their weapons loosened.

'What are you doing here?', one of them grumbled, smiling nonetheless. 'The party's downstairs.'

'Oh, I know', Phoenix sighed. 'I was just wondering whether-?', she cut off abruptly, slamming her gloved fist into the man's face. With a sickening crunch of bone, he crumpled to the ground, unconscious and bleeding.

Before his partner had time to adjust, Phoenix had yanked his neck to the side and sunk elongated fangs into it.

A gurgled groan left his throat as he dropped his weapons, scrabbling weakly at Phoenix's arms before going limp. After several seconds, Phoenix dropped him, where he hit the floor with a muffled _thump._

She wiped her mouth on the back of a bloodied glove, eyeing the guards on the opposite corridor. They didn't seem to notice anything strange, and were talking amongst themselves.

'That she-male was right', Phoenix muttered. 'These guards are pathetic…and taste awful.'

She turned into an adjoining corridor, senses alert for her target. She could smell excitement and fear, and followed its scent down the corridor, looking for its source.

'Earl-sama…', a voice whispered as she was about to turn a corner. 'I have souls ready for you. They are in a cellar, miserable and driven to the brink of insanity. Please, take them and give their life to me!'

Phoenix peeked around the corner; eyes fixed on a shivering figure slumped against the wall.

She revealed herself, stalking towards him.

'Your existence ends here, Chaoji Han', she said quietly. Chaoji's head snapped up, brown eyes wide.

'W-who're you?', he whispered, eyes narrowing suspiciously as he spotted her bloody glove and face. 'Exorcist…', he hissed, hands clenching into trembling fists.

'Don't struggle', she said. 'I cannot move much in this damned dress.'

Chaoji ran at her, slashing the tapestry hanging against the wall. She dodged him jut in time, moving away from him as fast as she could in the dress. He turned and jumped in the air, kicking off a wall and slamming into her, sending her flying back against a table, which broke, ornaments smashing into the stone.

'What kind of Exorcist are you?', Chaoji taunted, voice echoey. He lifted up his claws. Crimson dripped off three of them, splashing onto the cold floor.

Phoenix used the wall to stand up again, inspecting the slashes on her arm and shrugging them off, looking back at Chaoji, eyes widening as he appeared in front of her. He shoved her against a wall, where the mask snapped cleanly in half, falling to the floor.

'This is going to hurt later', she muttered. She sighed, lips curling back in a snarl as her fangs reappeared. She shoved Chaoji back with inhuman speed, kicking him full in the chest. He staggered back, digging his claws into the wall to avoid completely falling.

'…You're not an Exorcist!', Chaoji exclaimed, eyes wide as he watched the cuts o Phoenix's arm disappear.

'I never said I was', Phoenix hissed, eyes dark.

Chaoji let out a roar and charge towards her, hands turning into purple-tipped claws. She jumped up, higher than humanly possible, and kicked off Chaoji's head, sending him stumbling forwards as she leapt away from him, landing lightly on the ground. One of the thin wedges on her shoes snapped as she landed.

'Lenalee will be upset', she said, kicking off the shoes. She appeared suddenly in front of Chaoji, hand snapping around his neck. She pulled him up until his feet were dangling above the ground.

'Why?', she asked quietly. 'You don't seem to be one of the usual power-hungry fools who seek business with the Earl.'

'I…I don't want to die', Chaoji choked out after several seconds, all previous anger turning to sorrow.

'Pathetic', Phoenix murmured.

'Y-You don't understand', Chaoji panted. 'I am very ill. It is incurable, and my death would have been excruciating.'

'So you sacrificed other lives to spare yours…', Phoenix said coldly.

'I am his only true friend', Chaoji muttered. 'The Palace is a lonely life for him, and my death would have made it all even worse.'

'And now this _he_ will be sad, yes?', Phoenix murmured. Before Chaoji could open his mouth again, she twisted his neck and sunk her fangs into his shoulder. Blood burst out of the twin wounds, running down his throat.

A startled cry tore her away from her feast. She looked up, blood dripping out of the corner of her mouth. Her eyes widened in surprise.

A boy stood before her, dressed in fine clothes of black and red with a short cape and matching mask which partly covered the fiery red hair. The very boy she had bumped into before.

'Cha…Chaoji…', he whispered, green eyes wide. They flickered to Phoenix. He stormed over to a coat of arms hanging on the wall and pulled out a sword, swinging it through the air.

'You will pay', he snarled. 'Evil witch!'

She easily dodged the blow, twisting his arm behind his back. He yelled out in pain and dropped the sword. She yanked him to her by the hair, preparing to bite him.

'Stop!', several voices shouted at once. She grunted as something embedded itself in her lower back and dropped the boy, spinning around. She swore.

Several guards were now holding crossbows and wooden stakes in hand, running towards her, shouting instructions and threats. With a jolt, she realized she wasn't wearing her mask and snarled before running full-pelt at the large window in front of her.

She crashed through the glass, falling for more than twenty feet. As soon as she landed, she rolled, not stopping for several seconds. She lay on her back, panting and retracted her fangs as she staggered to her feet, turning and running as fast as she could, away from the palace.

---


	3. Chapter 3

----

There were flashes of steel, the clanging of metal, sparks in the air.

He leapt back, narrowly dodging his opponent's blow. He landed in crouch, sword swinging through the air.

His opponent jumped away from it, preparing to strike once more.

'Hmmph', a man hummed from inside the heavy mask covering his head. He adjusted his grip on his sword, brushing back a loose strand of dark hair with his gloved hand.

With a muffled yell, the figure across from him leapt up and charged at him, brandishing his sword.

He met it with his own, flicking it away from him before kicking his opponent in the chest. The blow sent the masked figure in front of him flying back, where he landed heavily on the stone floor, sword flying out of his hand.

'Damn it', the fallen one growled, reaching for the weapon. A flash of steel caught his eye and he did a backward roll, landing in another crouch.

A sword landed in the place his head had been a second before. A booted foot flew at him. He caught it with his hands, but the blow sent him stumbling sideways. He used this momentum to roll away, fumbling along the ground until, with relief, he found his fallen sword.

He leapt to his feet, swinging his sword through the air. The man in front of him leaned back to dodge it, falling on his side and skidding across the stone. He jammed his opponent behind the knee with the pommel of his sword.

With a cry, he too fell, raising his sword just in time to deflect another blow aimed at his head. His battle had made him weary though, and the momentum of the blow had pushed both swords into his masked head, sending him crashing to the floor.

Before he could recover, the tip of a sword was aimed at his exposed throat. He clenched his hand around his own weapon before loosening his grip. It clattered to the floor as he lay there, panting.

'I win again…Prince', the muffled voice above Lavi said. It was smooth as usual, but there was the trace of smugness and triumph that always appeared when he defeated Lavi in their mock duels.

Bookman, who had been hidden in a corner until now, stepped out of the shadows, eyeing the two of them with his usual frown.

'Winner again, Tyki Mikk', he announced in his gruff voice.

Lavi snarled and shoved Tyki's sword away from his neck, tearing off his helmet to glower up at the victor. Beads of sweat rolled down his face, and strands of his red hair stuck to it as he sat up, wiping a gloved hand across his forehead.

Mikk got off Lavi, smoothly removing his own helmet to reveal a faint smirk and lazily narrowed golden eyes as he met Lavi's glare calmly.

'Maybe next time, my Lord', he murmured, bowing before turning to Bookman.

Hatred for Mikk boiled within Lavi. Those same words, repeated in the same manner _every time._

He leapt up, grabbing the sword, and aimed at Mikk's exposed back. The Noah spun around at the very last moment, ripping the sword from Lavi's grip in an almost lazy manner and leaning close.

'You should be more careful where you point that thing', Mikk told him quietly, too low for Bookman to hear. 'You could hurt someone, little boy.'

'That's what I was aiming for, Mikk', Lavi said through gritted teeth. Their glaring contest was broken by Bookman.

'Mikk, you may go now', Mikk nodded at Bookman, bowing mockingly low to Lavi again before backing out of the room, smirk once again in place.

Bookman jumped up and whacked Lavi over the head with a battered book he was holding. The Prince yelped and fell to his knees, clutching his head and glowering up at his mentor.

'Damn, what was that for, Panda?', he wailed.

'For acting like a fool', Bookman barked. 'Honestly, boy, what has gotten into you? You've been neglecting your studies, you talk back more than usual, and you're lashing out at innocent people. And just now you attempted to impale Mikk outside of your mock dueling!'

Lavi stared bitterly at the ground throughout Bookman's speech.

Bookman's scowl softened slightly as he surveyed his grandson. His poor, lively, idiotic grandson.

--

Phoenix stared at the stone wall in front of her blankly as a medic removed the bandages encasing her upper arm, frowning at the nearly healed scars on it. She was sitting on an aged wooden table, legs hovering a few inches off the ground. She was still wearing the blood-stained dress.

The deep cuts on her arm had returned.

'Sending a vampire out to do an Exorcist's job', the small man muttered. 'Unbelievable. They know vampires are weaker at night, and they know they aren't as good at killing akuma!'

Phoenix remained silent.

'Akuma wounds heal slower on your skin', the medic continued. 'Why do you willingly take these risky missions if you know they do you harm?'

'Are they healing alright or not?', Phoenix asked irritably, ignoring his question.

'Yes', he said, sighing. 'Your body's venom is counter-acting the akuma's. Still, be careful. Every time you suffer wounds like this, your life span will be shortened.'

'I know', Phoenix said, sliding off the wooden table and making her way over to the door.

'Tch', she muttered. 'How annoying…', she walked down the corridors until she found the marred wood that marked her living quarters.

She entered her room, shutting the door behind her. She leant against the thick wood, frowning faintly.

'Never again', she muttered. She had thrown off the wig and jewelry as soon as she had arrived, but still had makeup and blood smeared over her face.

Seeing as the dress was ruined anyhow, she didn't bother unlacing the back and used the forgotten daggers on her bed to slice through both dress and corset, gasping at the instant freedom. Komui would be angry. Slipping out of the dress, she threw on the shirt and pants of her uniform and made her way down to the middlemost level of the Black Order.

Half the floor was dedicated to natural hot springs with a constant stream of water. They were separated into male and female rooms, with a tall wooden fence separating them. The levels beneath the baths were underground.

The other half of the floor was sparring area, where Exorcists, Magicians and ordinary fighters alike practiced their skill.

There were only two other women in the female's bath room, and they were lying on the rock floor surrounding the hot spring. They ignored Phoenix's presence and continued talking.

Slipping out of her clothes, she slid into the hot water, sighing contentedly as she leant against the rocky wall behind her, air fanning out over the water.

That mission went a lot less smoothly than she had anticipated. Something there had troubled her. Off the top of her head she would have thought it was the dress. The sickeningly large amounts of frills and lace, the suffocating corset, the brown beehive set upon her too-short hair, the uncomfortable, too-high wedges on her shoes.

It could have also been her strange meeting with Tyki Mikk, one of the Noah Clan, notorious for their cruel streak when it came to doing the Palace's dirty work. Mikk hadn't been what she'd expected in a member of the Noah Clan. He was…smooth. In every sense of the word. He was well-groomed, and even she became flustered by his good looks.

He was reminiscent of a cat. A lethal one, like a panther. The golden eyes which captured its prey and held it in place, the graceful flair which remained even when he was leaving subtle threats.

Or maybe it was the boy she bumped into. He was dressed very finely, so she was guessing he must have been a noble or something of the sort. A bright green eye had stared down at her in shock. The other eye had been covered by artfully parted crimson hair. Despite his height and the masculine clothes he was wearing, it was obvious he was still young. No older than twenty years old.

The majority of people attending the ball were middle-aged nobles, invited to compete with each other in subtle ways and show off their wealth. There were a few young women accompanied by older gentlemen. A young man like that was out of place in a political ball.

A foolish boy, to chase after her, walk past the bodies of the fallen guards and find the gruesome sight of her feasting off a limp Chaoji Han. They must have been close for the young man to react in such a way, going as far as attempting to fight off a _vampire._ Yes, he had definitely seen the dripping fangs and the glowing eyes which would have sent anyone running the opposite direction. He was either brave or stupid for trying to attack her, or both.

And the look on his face before she had jumped out the window. Pure hatred and rage, mixed with sorrow and the desire for revenge. That much she could gleam from that one last look.

All in all, not a smooth mission. She had lost her mask, left a large mess behind, and whilst she had been nearly invisible during the ball, a dozen people had witnessed her feeding. She had let her thirst get the better of her, for in a situation like that, people would be excited, happy, content. Those emotions made blood taste amazing. As did dark emotions like fury and sorrow.

A loud crash from one of the upper levels snapped Phoenix out of her thoughts. Her eyes swiveled to the rocky ceiling, where bits of rocks were falling.

'Komui…', the hissed word spread throughout both the female and male hot springs.

'Tch', she muttered, rising to her feet. She reached for a towel lying on an upraised rock in front of her and tied it around herself securely before stepping out of the hot spring, wringing her hair dry before changing into her usual uniform.

On her way back to her room, she bumped into a scowling Kanda. She looked up at him blankly.

'Che', he muttered. 'Because you were too busy with that tanned man I got chucked into a rotting cellar for two hours. I had to use Mugen to blast a hole through the wall.'

'You must have been traumatized', Phoenix replied. 'I only had to shake off a persistent fat man, dance with a member of the Noah Clan, and fight an akuma in high shoes. All that apart, did you give our report?'

Kanda nodded. 'They said we did a good job...as usual.'

Scoffing faintly, they both continued on their way.

A piece of paper had been shoved under her door. Frowning, she bent down and picked it up, unrolling it. Her frown turned into a scowl.

'You twisted, irritating b-'

--

Steam rose in spirals, dispersing as it neared the grand ceiling. Lavi floated around in the hot water, eye patch lying on the rocky wall nearby. Bookman sat on the wall above the water, arms behind his head, eyes closed. Two servants stood nearby.

'You are still upset about what happened to Chaoji Han, yes?', Bookman asked, knowing the answer.

'Did you find the girl that did that to him?', Lavi asked quietly. 'She couldn't have been much older than fifteen. And she had fangs, so I'm guessing it's a rogue vampire', he frowned at the blood-stained visage of the girl in his mind.

She had been the girl who bumped into him downstairs. She seemed so innocent, too small to pose a threat. Eager to get away from Chomesuke and Bookman, he had unknowingly followed her up the stairs.

Any smart person would have seen the bloodied, dead guards and screamed for help. But no, he _had_ to see what happened, who else had died, _what_ had caused such a violent death.

Dents in the stone and wood walls, smashed ornaments and tapestries, smears of blood, unearthly growling. The closer he got, the worse it was. A gold and white mask lying on the floor, cracked in places.

And then-

She had looked like a porcelain doll, with the white dress and similar skin. Elegant gloves, hair, and accessories.

The dress was torn and bloodied, her hair snarled and wild, as were her glowing amber eyes. Dripping, gleaming fangs buried into his best friend's neck. Fangs that then tried to pierce his-

'Send Mikk after her.'

--

_Thirteen days later._

They must hate her. Sticking her on yet _another_ mission less than two weeks after her previous one. To make matters worse, she had been paired up with the most annoying excuse for a human being ever.

'Phoenix!', Daisya Barry yelled in her ear. 'Stop your sulking and lighten up!'

Phoenix ignored him and continued her brisk walking pace. Daisya followed behind, jumping over the rocks and roots and whistling merrily.

'Is there something going on between you and Kanda?', he asked a few seconds later.

Phoenix's brisk walk faltered slightly as she turned to stare at Daisya, a trace of disbelief in her face.

'Rumours are flyin' around that you and Yuu have a little somethin' going on with each other', Daisya continued slyly. 'I mean, you did pick him to go to that _romantic_ ball, didn't you?'

They must _really_ hate her.

'I did nothing of the sort', Phoenix said coldly. 'Komui picked him for it because everyone else was away on a mission except for Kanda and Walker. Kanda was the least injured, so Komui paired us together. And it was not a romantic ball, fool.'

'Sure, sure', Daisya said maddeningly, smirking as he overtook Phoenix. She scowled at the man so reminiscent of a clown, even without the twin trails painted beneath his eyes.

The Black Order consisted of seven levels, two above ground, five below. It was in a secluded area, yet still close enough to the town, where constant troubles took place. The Palace itself was the root of all the evil in the world. Whilst its inhabitants, for the most part, remained oblivious to the poverty and chaos taking place outside its stone walls, the people living outside could only glower up at the mighty, ignorant structure as they struggled to survive.

As could the rest of the world.

There was a slim expanse of forest separating the Order, the Palace, and the towns around it apart. Phoenix and Daisya had to walk through these woods, which were too dense to travel by horse and too tiring to get across by using magic.

Something flashed in the corner of Phoenix's eye. She turned her head, staring at the spot for several seconds before turning back around, amber eyes narrowed slightly.

'Something…is in here', she murmured, quickening her walking pace and keeping her senses on alert.

Daisya noticed the sudden change in Phoenix's walk and jogged beside her, eyebrows raised.

'Why so serious?', he asked her in a deep voice before cackling. 'There's no-one in these woods-'

A flash of purple.

'Get down!', Phoenix shouted, dropping to her knees and reaching for Daisya.

There was a sickening crunch followed by a splattering noise.

Phoenix stared at the Exorcist behind her in blank shock, realizing those sounds had come from him, from the gaping wound in the middle of his chest. The ghost of his last smile was still etched upon his face, eyes wide with shock as he fell back, landing with a muted thud on the leafy forest floor.

Warm blood hit Phoenix's face and outstretched arm, causing her to flinch involuntarily as the putrid scent of Exorcist's blood hit the back of her throat.

She leapt up in the same second all of this had happened, landing halfway up a tree. She stared down at the growing pool of blood surrounding her fallen comrade. There was another flash of white, and he was there, clad in a loose white tunic and black tights.

'My, my', Tyki Mikk said, blowing out a sigh as he stared down at the body. 'I was hoping for a lot less blood, but you _had_ to pull him down, didn't you? Definitely not my finest work...which brings us to you, sweetheart.'

He turned to stare up at Phoenix, smirking. Again, she was captivated by those shimmering golden eyes. Not of attraction this time, but of something that resembled fear. Not that he could see it, with the mask over her face that she had knocked in place when she jumped.

Regaining herself quickly, Phoenix met Tyki's stare coolly. He broke out into a grin.

'What happened to that pretty dress?', he called. 'Those clothes you are wearing are much less feminine, although they are…alluring.'

Phoenix's uniform, designed by the Order, consisted of black, tight-fitting pants and matching tunic tied at the waist. Red trimmings had been sewn in, along with a silver Rose Cross, the symbol of the Black Order. Her dark hair had been tied back into a curly ponytail.

Tyki suddenly appeared in front of her, golden eyes bright. She jumped back, slipping off the tree and landing in a crouch on the leafy ground, continuing into a forward roll as Tyki landed in the place she had been.

Jumping to her feet, she immediately went into the offensive, launching a kick at her opponent. He dodged it almost lazily, aiming a punch at her. She leant back to avoid it, skidding across the ground and attempting to knock his legs out from under him.

He jumped up, landing heavily on her stomach. As she coughed up blood, he crouched down until they were face-to-face, face as smooth as ever.

'I told you not to mess with us, Ms. Vampire', he whispered in her ear. 'Whilst I care very little for the spoiled brat, Chaoji Han was his only true companion of his age, and he confided in him greatly. Under Chaoji's influence, he passed a lot of laws which have greatly benefited us. And then you had to go destroy him, didn't you?'

Phoenix snarled and head-butted him. It wouldn't have done much damage, but she took advantage of his momentary shock to shove him off her. She rolled away, staggering to her feet.

He had broken several ribs, and whilst mundane injuries like these healed quickly, they were also very painful. She couldn't suppress a grimace as she straightened her mask.

Mikk was back on his feet, head tilted to the side.

'You will be the first vampire I kill', he told her matter-of-factly. 'Your kind tends to kill each other, don't they?'

Phoenix growled and leapt towards him, aiming another punch. He deflected it, leaving his right side vulnerable. She kneed him in the kidneys, causing him to double over in pain.

'Little witch', he said through gritted teeth. 'I am tired of playing.'

'That makes two of us', Phoenix said quietly before running at him again. Purple matter covered his arm, the very same matter she had seen before.

It was too late to do anything but raise her arms protectively as she made contact with it. It sent her flying back, where she slammed against a tree.

With an almighty groan, a jagged crack tore the tree in half. Phoenix slid down the trunk, rolling out of the way to avoid getting crushed.

Before she could recover, Mikk appeared above her. He flung a bunch of tiny daggers at her, where they impaled her left shoulder and upper arm. It sent searing pain through her entire body, burning in her veins and turning her vision red. Her very body was repelling their presence.

A choked scream left her lips as she arched off the ground, falling back limply.

'Moonstone', Mikk said, grinning once more. 'I never really bothered to find out whether it was effective until now. Does it hurt? I got you right above your heart, so it won't kill you, but it _will_ be excruciating.'

'B-bastard', Phoenix gasped, throwing a weak punch with her right hand. Mikk dodged it easily, looking down at her.

'Is that all vampires can do?', Mikk said, disappointment evident in his voice. 'Pathetic. I was expecting a lot more blood and gore', he crouched down beside the squirming Phoenix and slid two fingers under her mask, gently lifting it up.

'Ah…there you are', he murmured, stroking her cheek. 'You shall make the third female of the Black order I have had to kill. Pity, I usually have more fun before I kill them, but your case is a bit more precarious.'

Phoenix usually kept her emotions within check. But wild fury, fuelled by Mikk's taunts and the moonstone, bubbled within her, unlocking the hidden side of her mind.

Her eyes, which had been screwed up in pain until now, snapped open, surprisingly clear. Shock replaced the smirk on Mikk's face as she laid still, face blank, eyes blank.

Her palm snapped up, hitting Mikk on the chin. His neck snapped back and he staggered back. She rose to her feet, moving towards him slowly.

He laughed somewhat breathlessly, clicking his neck back into place. 'Oh, so _this_ is a real vampire, eh?'

Moving a lot faster than usual, Phoenix charged towards him, swinging her arm through the air. A huge spiral of fire erupted from her fingertips, racing towards him.

His eyes widened and he skid to a stop, bringing a purple-coated arm in front of him. The flames split on either side of him, scorching several trees and bushes.

Phoenix raised her arms again, bringing them together in front of her.

The ground trembled and shook before two thick slabs of earth rose up vertically, moving towards Mikk. They closed around him with a ground-shaking crash, a wave of air rippling through the trees.

She wanted to do more. She wanted to tear him from limb to limb, incinerate the parts, and do much more gruesome things, but something within her flashed like a warning, telling her that this bout of power wouldn't last for much longer.

She looked down at the moonstone, whose presence she had been ignoring the whole time. She reached up to tear it out, but as soon as her hand made contact, it sent a wave of agony through her body.

_Snap._

Phoenix fell to her knees, panting, amber eyes wide and wild once more. She eyed the torn landscape in front of her, vaguely aware of what she just did. Aware that it wouldn't contain someone like Mikk for very long.

'Dammit', she growled. She grabbed her fallen mask and spared one last glance at Daisya's mangled corpse before tearing off into the woods, ignoring the pain in her arm.

Even by using the unnatural speed that came with being a vampire and the sun's energy, she only made it a few leagues away from Mikk and Daisya before she collapsed.

She heard loud voices and the clattering of hooves and looked up, alarmed.

Two men were staring down at her, dumbfounded. One had frizzy grey hair and a permanently dazed expression. He had a bow and arrow in his hands, pointing straight at her heart.

The other had flaming red hair and a bright green eye. So familiar. He stared at her in blatant shock, recognition dawning on his handsome face.

Phoenix gave a small, wry chuckle before the ground rushed up to meet her and darkness took over.

--

The two slabs of earth on either side of Mikk trembled and crumbled to pieces. He emerged from them, brushing himself off. He ran a hand through his hair, frowning at the dirt marks on his clothes.

'Troublesome girl', he muttered. His eyes slid over to the corpse of Daisya Barry. His frown disappeared and he broke into an alarmingly large grin.

----

**_Finally! I've been working on this chapter for a couple of hours now. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. _**

**_I have some things about Phoenix to explain, but it's lunch time now (SPAGHETTI!), and i must go, so i'll put them in next chapter :3_**

**_Till next time, _**

**_Llama-san............... by the way, i've put up a new poll in my profile titled "What should i improve". If you think i'm lacking in a certain area, please tell me! ^^_**

**_Reviews would be awesome :3_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Uh...yo...?**_

_**Yup, i haven;t updated in a couple of months. I haven't updated anything in a few months. Unfortunately, for the past 6 or so months, i've had a whopper of a writers' block, and stress has blocked off the passage to my creative flow. Oh, and school's being bitchy.**_

**_Anyhoo, enjoy the chapter :) 4664 words, so i hope its okay..._**

----

Lavi sat with his back to the rocky wall, long legs crossed in front of him, sword across his lap. Phoenix lay on the other side of the small cave. Three pieces of moonstone had been placed around her in the shape of a triangle.

He picked up the strange mask which lay beside him, marveling despite himself at the craftsmanship. The mask itself was a midnight blue, with speckled gold eye slits and a long, grinning smile that nearly went from ear-to-ear.

When Kevin Yeegar and Lavi had first saw the blood-stained girl, their instinct had been to help her. What gave her away as one of the enemy was the dark mask and the unusual black and red uniform. What gave her away as the one who killed his friend were the burning amber eyes.

Instead of killing her, Lavi had ordered Yeegar to bring her into the small cave. Shortly afterwards, he had detected Exorcist blood on Phoenix's body and, after placing certain wards around the cave and unconscious vampire, had stormed off into the woods in search of the Exorcist.

One of the horses tethered outside let out a nervous snort. Lavi stood up swiftly, sheathing his sword, and walked over to the anxious animals. He patted them on their long faces, murmuring something. They were disturbed by Phoenix's unnatural presence.

So was he.

A sudden, soft groan made him spin around, unsheathing his sword once more. Phoenix's eyes opened slowly, staring up at the cave's rocky roof for several seconds before she sat up slowly, clutching her shoulder. She blinked at Lavi for several seconds, meeting his stare evenly.

'Are you not going to avenge your friend?', she asked him, finally breaking the icy silence. 'I assume that is why I am still alive.'

'You're alive because I want information', Lavi was surprised to hear himself speaking in calm tones. 'If it's good, your death may be quick.'

Something close to amusement flitted across Phoenix's face. 'What do you want to know, boy?'

'I'm a prince', Lavi told her coldly, frowning. 'Do not dare antagonize me, vampire.'

'That makes sense…', Phoenix murmured, remembering her musings about him being out of place at the ball.

'Why did you kill Chaoji Han?', Lavi asked her quietly.

Phoenix stared at him.

'Answer, or I run you through with more moonstone', Lavi snarled, anger finally surfacing.

'I did not kill him', Phoenix said bluntly. 'I saved him.'

'Saved him?', Lavi snarled. 'You sucked him dry until he turned to powder! I caught you in the act!'

'Chaoji Han was an akuma, boy', Phoenix said, unfazed by his anger.

'Akuma?', Lavi said, frowning. 'What lies are you speaking of now?'

Phoenix looked at him blankly. 'Akuma are humans who make deals with a being known as the Millennium Earl. They sacrifice the lives of others to gain good fortune and prolong their lives. Have you really not heard of them?'

Lavi reddened slightly. 'I do not bother myself with pointless rumours, vampire.'

'It is not a fairytale', Phoenix said quietly. 'Akuma are very much real, and they are coming from _you_ and your twisted servants-'

'You're the one that's twisted, vampire', Lavi snapped. 'Chaoji was not an…an _akuma_, if that is what you're suggesting.'

'I am', Phoenix said simply. 'Chaoji Han was classified as a Level Two akuma. He used his status to manipulate you-'

'Watch your mouth, vampire', Lavi muttered furiously. 'Chaoji was not an akuma.'

'Are you so ignorant that you cannot see past the smiling façade of your servants, boy?', Phoenix snapped. 'The majority of people living in that castle are evil, and it is because of them that your people are suffering-'

'-because you and your friends are corrupting them and killing innocent people!', Lavi interjected angrily. 'You've been spreading chaos and discord throughout the land. You and those masked assassins you work with are the only evil I see!'

'…Then you are blind', Phoenix whispered. 'You have been spoon-fed these lies all your life. The Millennium Earl and his followers, the Noah Clan, are the ones causing all this chaos and discord, not us. '

Lavi's mouth opened but no sound came out. Despite his disbelief, there was evidence to support what Phoenix had told him. Even so, he wouldn't believe that his best friend had been an akuma. There was just no way…

'My next question', Lavi finally said. 'What assassin group are you from, and where are you located?'

Phoenix smiled faintly. 'Assassin group?'

'Do not play dumb with me, vampire', Lavi snapped. 'Answer if you want to live.'

'You cannot threaten me with death', Phoenix told him, smile fading. 'I have nothing to live for.'

Lavi's eye widened in shock at her blunt declaration. Before he could speak, she stood up abruptly, placing both hands in front of her. An odd ripple disturbed the air. She stepped out of the triangle with a small grimace, stretching her stiff limbs.

Lavi's eye widened and he raised the sword in front of him. Phoenix eyed it blankly.

'How did you get out?', he demanded, taking a step back.

'Devil's Traps do not work on me', she said quietly, pushing aside her messy ponytail to reveal the three perfectly aligned dots on her jaw. 'How could you miss that?'

She took a step towards the entry of the cave. Lavi hesitated before leaping at her, sword swinging through the air. She flicked it away with a bare hand, shoving Lavi back against the cave wall. Before he could recover, her hand snapped around his neck, holding him there.

'I was going to let you live', Phoenix snarled. 'But you are getting on my nerves, boy. Ignorant fools like you who sit by day by day whilst their people are dying do not deserve to be king…or live, for that matter.'

To Lavi's horror, her eyes became clouded, now a swirling gold. The small fangs had lengthened, and a dark look had settled over her face.

'I have lost a lot of blood', Phoenix murmured, leaning closer to him. 'Not to mention I am not happy with the moonstone your servant stuck in me.'

'Mikk?', Lavi said, momentarily forgetting his predicament. 'Did you kill him?'

'No, unfortunately', she whispered, brushing her thumb over Lavi's eye patch. 'What is under here, boy?'

Lavi turned away from her. She hissed and held his face against the wall, eyes locked on the vein pulsing on his neck. Panic settled in as he could feel her quickened breath on his throat.

Phoenix chuckled suddenly, loosening her chokehold on Lavi. She released him suddenly, stepping away from him. He slid to the cave floor, panting and clutching his throat.

'You…', Lavi breathed, staggering to his feet. 'I will kill you.'

'Say something else, boy', Phoenix muttered, irritated. 'Be grateful I am letting you live.'

'Why?', he asked quietly, rubbing his throat. 'If you kill me, your little group of monsters will be happy, won't they?'

Phoenix turned to stare at him, placing her mask on top of her head. Lavi blinked. When did she…?

'On the contrary', she murmured, 'Leaving you alive may be of some benefit to us. Take what I have told you and think it over. We are not the ones you should be worrying about. True evil lies within your own home', she paused, looking at him with an expression close to thoughtful. 'You are…different. I hope-' she stopped abruptly, blunt expression going even blanker.

'What-?', Lavi's sentence was cut off by a small gasp from Phoenix. Her head lolled back and she went limp, falling into the arms of none other than Tyki Mikk.

'Sorry I am late, Prince', he said smoothly. 'Did she do you any harm?', his expression looked hopeful at the thought.

'No', Lavi said, scowling faintly. 'Where were you?'

'I am going to finish this somewhere else, Prince', Mikk said, ignoring Lavi's question. 'It may get bloody…'

Despite his hatred for the unconscious vampire, a part of him didn't want to walk away from whatever Mikk was planning to do. He was also more confused than he'd been in a long time, Phoenix's words echoing in his mind.

'Mikk, take her back to the castle', Lavi ordered suddenly. Mikk looked up at him, a flicker of irritation passing through his golden eyes.

'Do you not want her to die painfully for what she did to dear Chaoji Han?', Mikk murmured.

_Akuma._

'She may have information useful to us', Lavi muttered. 'Until then, we will keep her in one of the cells.'

'We've received enough information from the others who came before her', Mikk said impatiently, eyes fixed on Phoenix. 'There is no need to keep this one alive.'

'What do you mean "Others"?', Lavi said, frowning. 'I was not aware you had questioned others of the enemy, Mikk.'

The Noah froze, looking over at Lavi.

'We did not want to trouble you', he said evasively. 'You have much more pressing matters to attend to-'

'Don't do it again', Lavi said quietly, sheathing his sword. 'And next time I tell you to do something', his eyes flickered to Phoenix, 'You do it properly.'

Something dark flashed in Mikk's eyes but vanished just as quickly as he smirked, bowing low.

'Yes, my Lord', he said smoothly. 'Where is Yeegar?'

'There are traces of Exorcist blood on her', Lavi explained, 'He's gone to see whose side the Exorcist is on, and whether he's still alive.'

Mikk's smirk widened. 'He was her partner.'

'You've killed him then?', Lavi murmured. 'Of course you would-'

Yeegar appeared in the cave's entry, face grim.

'The Exorcist killed was not one of ours, Prince', he said, acknowledging Mikk's presence with a curt nod. 'I found him crucified upside down against a tree', he gave a disgusted sigh, 'What beast did that, I do not know…'

Lavi's eye flickered to Mikk. The Noah seemed unperturbed by Yeegar's announcement and looked bored.

'…What happened?', Yeegar asked, looking from the slightly disheveled Lavi to the unconscious vampire in Mikk's arms. 'Did she hurt you, Prince?'

'No', Lavi muttered. 'Mikk got here just in time…'

'We should go now, I am thinking', the Noah said, running a hand through his hair. 'More dogs may pick up her scent.'

--

Komui placed both hands on the table in front of him, looking down at his steadily whitening knuckles. Allen, Kanda and a few others stood around the bodies of Daisya Barry and two Finders who had been killed in an attempt to stop them from entering an ambush.

'How could we have been so stupid?', Komui whispered to no-one in particular. An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. Then Allen spoke.

'Chief…it was not our fault', he said softly. 'We had no way of knowing it was a trap-'

'It should have been obvious', Komui hissed, looking up at the white-haired boy. 'We sent them out without bothering to confirm the rumour of the akuma nest. We let them walk into an obvious ambush and now Daisya is dead, Phoenix is missing and we have two dead Finders.'

A sheet with a Rose Cross imprinted on it had been placed over Daisya to block the sight of his gruesome death. The two Finders lay beside him, also covered by sheets.

Every time Kanda's eyes flickered to Daisya's body, a new wave of fury alighted within him, though his face remained impassive. The two of them had been the apprentices of Froi Tiedoll, an Exorcist and magician of the Black Order. And whilst he and Phoenix had a mutual hatred for each other, he liked to think there was some sort of rough friendship beneath it all. After all, he had known her for nine years.

'Kanda, Allen', Komui said suddenly. 'I am sending you on a new mission.'

Kanda scowled. 'Are you jesting, Komui?'

Komui looked up at him, brown eyes sharp. 'I will not lose another Exorcist because I made a foolish mistake. The two of you are going to infiltrate the castle and bring back Phoenix.'

'They will do no such thing, Komui', the stern voice of Malcolm Leverrier announced before Kanda and Allen could voice their shock. They all turned to him.

'What are you talking about?', Komui said angrily, earning a raised eyebrow from Leverrier. 'We cannot lose another Exorcist!'

'That girl was a vampire', Leverrier said softly. 'She did not count as an Exorcist, Komui. She was simply a convenient asset to the Order, and the only reason we did not end her immoral presence was because she had a decent mental state and made a good, _obedient_ soldier. Whilst having a vampire on our side was convenient-'

'-Was?', Komui shouted. 'You make it seem as though she is dead!'

'She may as well be, if she was captured by the Noah', Leverrier snapped. 'As I was saying, having a vampire on the side of the church was a great asset, but is not much of a loss. Her Seal was weakening anyhow.'

'Can it not be renewed?', Komui asked desperately. 'It is nigh impossible to convert a vampire, Leverrier. They are not an expendable resource.'

'The magic placed on her was done by Cross Marian', Leverrier seemed to chew out the name. 'Even if we _could_ find out where he is, there is no guarantee it would work twice.'

A dark look passed over Komui's face as he accepted the grim reality.

'Though I care very little for a vampire's wellbeing', Leverrier said slowly, 'You know as well as I do that Sealing a vampire makes them dangerous and unstable.'

'But her ancestry-', Komui began impatiently.

'Enough', Leverrier said coldly. 'You will waste no more lives, Komui.'

And with those words, he stormed off, leaving a blank-faced Komui behind him.

--

For the second time that day, Phoenix stirred slowly, blinking up at the stone ceiling above her. A second later, her memory rushed back and she sat up abruptly, a wave of sudden dizziness making her slump over once more.

'You know', a familiar voice purred. 'Your group of weapon-wielding fools made it too easy for us. It wasn't very entertaining for me, you know, hunting you down…'

Phoenix tried sitting up again, but her body wouldn't respond. She turned her head to the source of the voice, mild hock registering within her drugged brain as she saw Mikk sitting in a chair beside her, fingers steepled in front of him.

'We did not expect you to take the bait so quickly', he continued. 'Then again, I heard that your leaders are particularly vicious when it comes to akuma nests, hmm?'

Phoenix stared at him blankly, amber eyes drooping. Why did she feel so sick? She hadn't felt this way since…never.

'We have learnt a fair bit about vampires over the past few years', Mikk announced, smiling faintly. 'A savage bunch you all are, eh?'

Phoenix remained silent, mild panic mixed with anger settling in her stomach. How did this happen to her?

'Whilst the majority of you are pureblood savages with an insatiable bloodlust, there are a few who possess mixed blood, correct?', Mikk continued. When she didn't answer, he continued. 'Judging by your surprising level of sanity and strange obedience to your little organization, you either have the blood of another magical being running through your veins or there has been a Seal placed on you by the Black Order.'

Phoenix's eyes widened slightly. Mikk smirked at the response.

'We know a lot more about the Order than you think we do', he said with a chuckle. 'We know how many Exorcists lie within its walls, we even know where you are located.'

'Why have you not raided it then?', Phoenix muttered, turning away from Mikk's piercing gaze.

'We cannot get in', Mikk admitted. 'To destroy the Order and its occupants, we need the Heart.'

Phoenix visibly stiffened, turning back to face him with blatant shock on her face. How did he know about the Heart?

Mikk tapped his brow. 'We have eyes everywhere, little bird.'

He stood up and walked over to Phoenix, placing his hands on either side of her head as he leaned down, head tilted slightly. She met his probing gaze coolly.

'What_ is_ your name, dear?', he murmured. 'You never told me.'

'I do not have a proper name', Phoenix muttered. 'So do not bother trying to bind me to your will.'

'…Why did you leave me alive?', he asked her quietly. 'You seemed, I admit, unstoppable. Was it the moonstone that stopped you?'

More silence. Mikk sighed.

'Alright', he said, bringing a hand up to Phoenix's cheek. She was wary and vaguely confused by the gesture. 'You are being very uncooperative.'

'Since you aren't feeling talkative, we must progress a lot quicker than imagined', he murmured. The hand that was trailing up her neck stopped at her mouth, lifting her upper lip to reveal a small fang.

He snapped his fingers, and suddenly they blazed with purple.

'I warn you, this may be a bit painful', he said, breaking out into a wide grin. 'Now, open wide…'

--

He paced around his room aimlessly, frowning. Bookman, his mentor, was busy attending to his ill father. Thus, he had over an hour of nothing to do. Normally, this would be great news, and he would use this precious free time on one of the few pleasures in his life, and forget about the palace and its occupants and just be _free._

Not this time. The _vampire_ had left dark thoughts in his head. And he was mulling them over, growing more and more displeased as he realized everything she told him fit; pieces in a large and gruesome puzzle.

Yes, he was ignorant. Ignorant of his surroundings, of the world outside his, even of the people who supposedly follow him. He never suspected his followers. Why should he? They would never mislead him, trick him, harm him.

Would they?

_Ignorant fools like you who sit by day by day whilst their people are dying do not deserve to be king…or live, for that matter._

He growled and lashed out at candelabra, yelling out his frustration. It snapped in half as it hit the stone wall, clattering to the ground with a loud crash. He stared down at his clenched fist, breathing heavily.

He wanted answers.

_The vampire._

He whirled around and stalked out of his room, making his way down the corridor. The fair-haired maid who'd been flustered around him the other day was passing with a basket of linen. She met his one-eyed gaze and gave a timid smile. He did not return it, merely striding past her, throwing glares at anyone else who looked at him.

His angry stride continued as he took the spiral stairs leading down to the dungeons. He'd been there only twice before, when he was young, on one of the rare occasions his father was well enough to walk around. Amazingly, he remembered the way perfectly.

He approached a guard who was leaning on his spear, nodding off. He saw the young prince and straightened up, chain mail clinking as he fixed his stance. He eyed Lavi nervously.

'W-what brings Your Highness down here?', the guard asked in his booming voice.

'Where is the va-the woman Mikk brought in?', he asked quietly.

'The girl?', the guard said dumbly. 'Mikk had her moved to the torture chamber a while ago, Sir.'

'Torture chamber?', he said, frowning. 'What torture chamber-?'

A hair-raising scream reached his ears. He jumped slightly and the guard grimaced, cringing away slightly from the sound.

'Ah, Your Highness?', the guard said questioningly as Lavi moved towards the source of the sound. 'I wouldn't go in there, if I were you.'

Lavi ignored him and turned a corner, eye widening in surprise. A thick, battered wooden door led to the only room in the very short corridor. The door was slightly ajar.

He reached forward and pushed it open, taking a cautious step. At the scene in front of him, his eye widened and he froze completely, taking in his new surroundings.

Blood. Lots of it. Some fresh, some old and dried. Hundreds of vile-looking instruments hung off hooks on the four walls, and there were two blood-stained racks in the middle of the room.

On the far side of the room, the vampire was chained up to the wall. Where her clothes were torn, deep wounds lay fresh and bleeding. Her hair was a tangled mess around her face, which held a blank mask of pain. Dark, almost maroon blood poured from her mouth. Two small, pearly-white teeth lay in a pool of blood.

Tyki stood in front of her, sleeves rolled up, blood up to his elbows. A cruel-looking instrument was held in his hand. At the sound of the swinging door and Lavi's sharp gasp, his head snapped around. His golden eyes widened and he lowered his arms, hiding the odd instrument from sight, smirking.

'Prince, what are you doing away from your lesson?', he asked in a smooth tone, as if he wasn't in the process of torture.'

'M-Mikk', Lavi mumbled, feeling nauseous, 'What do you think you're doing?'

'Interrogating, as you said', Mikk said simply.

'I… didn't say to do _this_', Lavi hissed. 'I wasn't aware we even had a torture chamer!'

'It is quite recent-'

'The bloodstains and wearing of the wood say otherwise', Lavi interjected. 'The smell of death is stagnant, and old. This has been here for well over five years.'

'…Your Highness is rather observant', Tyki said quietly. 'However, you wanted answers, and I'm afraid this is the only way to get them.'

'By pulling out her…fangs?', Lavi said, scowling. 'I don't remember approving this, Mikk…'

Tyki appeared in front of him suddenly, causing the younger boy to stagger back in surprise. He slammed his palm into the stone wall beside Lavi, staring him down.

'You really should stop acting all high and mighty, _Prince_', Tyki spat contemptuously. 'That tongue of yours may get cut out someday.'

'And I assume you're the one who'd carry it out?', Lavi said in as calm a voice as he could manage. 'Listen, Mikk. I want to know what's going on behind my back. When did you start making decisions without my consultation? How many lies have you told me?'

Tyki looked vaguely alarmed and irritated. 'Who has been filling your head with such nonsense?'

Lavi's eye flickered to the stunned vampire against the wall and back to his Advisor. Tyki caught this and frowned, golden eyes darkening. He gave a small scoff and brought his hand back to his side. Bits of rubble landed on Lavi's shoulder.

Lavi straightened up, pretending not to notice the dent in the wall behind him.

'I want to speak with the vampire', he said firmly. 'Leave us.'

'I am not done with her', Tyki muttered, gaze hard. 'You should-'

'Do not tell me what to do', Lavi snarled. 'I am not afraid of you, Mikk. You may be stronger than me, but I am still prince. So do as I command you to, and _leave._'

Tyki stared at him for several seconds with an unreadable expression on his face. He smirked, bowing mockingly low and brushing past Lavi, slamming the door shut behind him.

Lavi walked over to Phoenix, cautiously eyeing her for any movement. Her arms were limp, but her hands were clenched into tight fists. Her head sagged forward, partially hiding her face from view.

'Relax, I don't bite', she murmured, words slightly muffled. 'Not anymore', she added with a cold chuckle.

'I…I didn't order this', Lavi said hesitantly, growing nauseous as the smell and sight of blood hit him again.

'I know that, boy', Phoenix muttered. 'You are too spineless to inflict this on another being.'

'Stop that!', Lavi hissed, scowling. 'Stop speaking to me like that, vampire! Maybe I should bring Mikk back in?'

'I do not fear either of you', she said quietly. 'Especially you…you have the fear content of a pup.'

'How dare you-?', Lavi growled, hands clenching into fists.

'-What do you want?', Phoenix asked, faint traces of weariness in her voice. 'You said you wanted to speak with me, and I grow weary of this pointless conversation.'

'…I want answers', he murmured quietly.

'What makes you think I am going to give them to you?', Phoenix muttered, raising her head slowly. Lavi winced. She rested her head heavily on her chained arms, staring at Lavi with molten gold eyes.

He took a sharp breath and resisted the urge to take a step back. Phoenix scoffed faintly, coughing up blood a second later.

'I told you I don't bite, boy', she said in between coughs. 'A ruler of thousands should not fear a little blood.'

'Stop antagonizing me', Lavi hissed, scowling. 'Talk or I will bring him back in!'

'I have nothing to say to you', Phoenix said quietly, grimacing faintly as she closed her eyes. 'Go ask that Noah for answers if you want them.'

'I…', Lavi hesitated.

'You don't trust him anymore, do you?', Phoenix murmured. 'Have you come to your senses?'

'I never trusted him', Lavi said bitterly. 'And I don't trust you either.'

'Then what are you doing here, boy?', Phoenix asked, irritated. 'You are wasting my time.'

'I've pondered what you told me', Lavi said, chewing out each word. 'And…I believe...tell me more.'

'What you are too proud to say is that you have examined your surroundings and so-called subordinates, and you do not like what you see.'

'I-'

Lavi was cut off as the door swung open and Tyki sauntered in once more, looking a little less blood-stained.

'Done, Your _Highness?_', Tyki said in the mocking tone he saved for Lavi. The young prince felt a familiar flicker of irritation pass through him at the sound of his Advisor's smooth voice.

'Yes, that will be all', he muttered, turning to leave. Tyki was waiting at the door, leaning against it to hold it open. 'And Mikk, do not withhold any information you may get from her. You are to tell me immediately.'

Tyki smirked, golden eyes narrowed lazily. 'Yes, my Lord.'

Lavi frowned at him and walked out the door, milling over his brief and fruitless conversation with the vampire.

_Make the right decision, boy_.

The voice rang out clearly in his head. He spun around, uncovered eye wide. It locked on the smoldering eyes of Phoenix, who had him fixed in her firm stare.

'Did you just…?', Lavi whispered without thinking.

'Goodbye, Prince', Tyki interrupted, slamming the door shut in his face.

----

**_Nyaaw, poor Lavi-kun. If he appears to be a bit brat-ish, then thats ok, cuz he is in this story. I may change him later on._**

**_Another, little notice, i may be deleting this account. I've published too many and its hard to keep track of, which may be one of the reasons for my stress/writer's block. if i do make a new account, i will publish 4 or so of my stories, all of which will be re-written._**

**_Till next time (Maybe),_**

**_Llama-san_**


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey guys, this notice is going on all of my stores._

_Firstly, i'm sorry for not updating anything in months. Lots of stuff has been happening, and i'm losing my creative flow. Also, like i've said before, i've uploaded too many unfinished stories and i'm feeling the pressure =\ Anyhoo, i'm gonna delete most of the stories on this account and keep only about 3. The rest may or may not be rewritten/retitled, depending on my mood._

_There's a poll up in my profile. vote for up to 3 stories, and the ones with the most votes won't get deleted, but may be rewritten/retitled. _

_Thanks for sticking with me this far!_

sincerely,

Llama.


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